Drum



G. H. WAY

Sept. 9, 1952 DRUM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 28. 1950 Patented Sept. 9, 1952 George H. Way, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to C. G.

Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of 7 Indiana Application April 23, 1950, Serial No. 158,799

This invention relates to drums, and more particularly to the mounting and adjustment of drum heads on the drum bodies.

Drums have heretofore been manufactured by attaching a flesh hoop to the drum head to fit slidably over the end of the drum body. Counterhoops are then fitted over the flesh hoops and drawn down to tighten the head to the desired extent. This type of construction clutte'rs the exterior of the drum with a number of adjustable fastenings for the counterhoops thereby seriously limiting design possibilities.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a drum in which the head'tensioning mechanism is contained in the interior of the drum body and the only parts on the exterior of the drum are operating knobs to adjust the tensioning mechanism. According to one feature of the invention the head is tensioned by a ring movably mounted inside of the body and engageable with the inner surface of the head.

Another object is to provide a drum in which the ring to engage and tension the head is movably supported by a series of toggle linkages which are individually adjustable through threadedrods extending to the exterior of the drum body. I 1

Still another object is to provide a two-headed drum in which the heads are individually adjustable by a mechanism inside of the drum body.

The above and other objects of the invention will be more readily apparent when read in connection with the. accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a drum embodying the invention with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3. 1

The drum as shown comprises the usual tubular body In which in a two-headed drum as illustrated is open at both ends. The body maybe formed of wood, metal, plastic, or any other desired material, and may be decorated on its exterior to carry out any desired type of design. On the interior of the body adjacent its "ends'a pair of reinforcing rings H are mounted which may be formed of the same material as the body and which are rigidly secured on the interior thereof. Each of the reinforcing rings H is provided with an end flange l2 projecting beyond 6 Claims. (01. 84-411) the end'or the body to define therewith an an nular peripheral groove.

The ends of the body are covered by vibrato heads 13 and M, one of which may be a heater head and the other of which may be a relatively lighter snare head. The heads may be formed of calf skin or any other desired flexible material, as is customary in drum construction. Each of the heads is secured at its periphery to an annular flesh hoop 15 which may be a wooden or metal ring about which the peripheral portion of the head is wrapped and secured in the usual manner. The flesh hoops are of a size to be received over the flanges l2 in the annular peripheral grooves formed thereby and are rigidly held in place by counter-rings l5 fixedly secured to the drum body. As shown, each counter-ring includes a rolled outer edge portion H terminating at one side in an angular flange i8 overlying-the flesh hoop to hold it securely in the groove; The other leg of-the rolled counterring extends along the drum body and may be secured thereto by fastening screws [9. In this way the heads are fixedly secured to the end portions of the body and they are preferably of such a size that when so mounted the will be relatively loose.

A snare unit may engage the snare head of the drum and as shown comprises a series of snares 2| secured at their opposite ends to holders 22 and stretched across the snare head of the drum. One of the holders 22 may be connected through a flexible strap 23 to a fixed bracket 24 at one side of the drum body, and the other may be connected through a similar strap 25 to an adjustable supporting unit controlled by a lever 26. By manipulating the lever the snare unit may be drawn against the head or released therefrom as desired.

In order to tension the heads to a proper playing tension a pair of annular rings 21 are provided on the interior of the drum body, each of which is adapted to engage the inner surface of one of the heads. The rings 21 are slightly smaller in diameter thanrthe reinforcing rings H to be movable axially therein so that when they are shifted outward, as seen in Figure 3,

the heads will be drawn tight within their corresponding rings.

Each of the rings is individually controllable bracket 29 mounted on one of the reinforcing rings II. A second link 3! is pivoted at one end on a bracket 32 carried by the ring 21 at the opposite end of the drum. The links 28 and 3| are pivotally interconnected through a pivot block 33 which is transversely threaded to receive a threaded rod or screw 34. The rod or screw 34 extends. through an opening, 35 in the side of the drum body and terminates in a knurled knob 36 lying on the outside of the body. The knob is provided with a tapered shoulder to engage a reinforcing plate 3'! on the drum body so that tension on the screw will be properly resisted. Preferably the knobs for: adjusting the diiierent heads are slightly differentin de-- sign for easy identification. As shown, the knobs 36 for tensioning the batter head areformecL with central projecting tips 36 for this purpose. As will be best seen from Figure 3, when the screw is turned in a direction to move the pivot block toward the. outside of'the; body, the toggle links tend to straighten ontt-herebyto movethe corresponding ring 2! toward the head; to tension it, It, will be noted that the several toggle linksconnectedto each of the rings constitute the sole support for the ring so that it can shift axially inthe= body and: will be properly centered. by-enga ement wit-hthehead.

In the; construction shown there are six: sets of; togglelinks. for each of: the rings: 27,,a1though this; number may vary for drums, of different sizes: or types, and each set of toggle links'acts between, one of the. rings and the reinforcing ring: H: at; the opposite end of; the drum. Thus. with; this construction: the: rings. are separately djustable so that the, individual. heads can be separately tensioned to the desired extent. Furthermore, the mechanism is extremely compact and. is all-contained in the interior of the drum: body so that the only-parts on the exterior of the; body are the knobs 36.- This enables a.

variety of pleasing designs to be used. on. the drum., Additionally the present design eliminates the need for. a key to adjust; the headtension and which is apt to become lost.

While one embodiment ofthe invention has, been shown and described in, detail: herein, it will beunderstood that this is: illustrative only and is. not to be taken as a definition of the scope, of the. invention, reference being had for this purposeto: the: appended: claims.

Whatis claimed is::

11.. A drum comprising ahollow bodyopen at at least one end avibratile head extending across. the, openend ofthe body, means rigidly securing the head-to thebodyaroundtheopenend, an annular ring in the body adjacent the openend. to.

engagethe interior surfaceof the head, pivotally interconnected toggle; links one. of: which is pivoted to-the drumbody and theother of which is pivoted to the: ring, and? adjustable tensionmeans-extending through the body and connect-- edto-the central portion of the toggle. links;

2; A: drum comprising a hollowbody open at atleastone end, avibratilehead:extending across the open, end. of the body, means rigidly securing the head to the body around. theopen end, an an nular ring. in the body adjacent theopen end toengage the interior surface of the. head, a.p1u.- rality of. sets. of: togglelinks inthe body connecting the ring to the body, each set including one link pivoted to the body, another link pivoted to the ring, a pivot block connecting the links, and a threaded rod extending through the body and threaded into the pivot block.

3. A drum comprising a hollow body open at at least one end, a vibratile head extending across the open end of the body;v a flesh hoop secured to the head, the body being formed at its open end with an annular recess in which the flesh hoop is receiving, a counter hoop rigidly secured to the open end of the body and engaging the flesh hoop to hold it in the recess, an annular ring in the body-engageable-with the inner surface of the head, adjustablemeans in the body supporting the ring for movement toward and away from the head, and an operating member for the adjustable means extending through the body.

4; A drum comprising a hollow body open at at least one end, a vibratile head extending across theopen end of the. body, a flesh hoop secured to the head,.the body being-formed at its open end with an annular recess in which the flesh hoopis. receiving, a counter hoop rigidly'secured to the open end of the body and engaging the flesh hoop to hold it in. the recess, an annular ring in the body engageable with the inner surface of: the:

head,,a; plurality'of sets of" toggle links each connected. atone end tothe. body and at its otherend. tothe. ring, and a threaded operating member for eachset of links'threaded to the central portion of. the. links, and extending through the. body for operation from! the outside thereof.

5. A drum comprising a tubular body openat.

both. ends, a. head extending across each: end ofthe body,, means rigidly securing the peripheral portion of. each head to-the. body, a, pair'of annular ringsin. the body.- engageable with the inner.

surfaces of the heads-respectively, a separate ad portion of each head to the body, a pair ofannu lar. rings in. the, body engageablewith the. inner surfacesof: they heads respectively, a plurality of sets oftogglelinks-for each of the, rings, eachset of links being pivoted at one end to the body and. at. its. other endto. the ring, and a threaded. rod threaded to. the. central. portion of each set of links andiextending.thronghthe.body.v

GEORGE H. WAYP REFERENCES CITED The following references are-of recordin the- 

